


Syzygy

by Lannakitty



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/M, First Time, Humor, Romance, Smut, Stargate Atlantis: Season 1, episode coda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-13
Updated: 2010-02-13
Packaged: 2017-10-07 05:52:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lannakitty/pseuds/Lannakitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elizabeth visits John after the events of 38 minutes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Syzygy

**Author's Note:**

> For [](http://community.livejournal.com/notjustclosets/profile)[**notjustclosets**](http://community.livejournal.com/notjustclosets/) challenge. The episode is 38 minutes. Since John is stuck in a jumper the whole time, I chose to do an episode coda. As a challenge to myself I decided this is a first-time-they-have-sex fic, so I tried to include some of the awkwardness and "uhh do you mind if I do this?" kind of stuff. I also get to use a word I LOVE as the title :)

Elizabeth wasn't sure why she found herself at his doorstep. She'd known Carson was discharging him that afternoon. John would have bolted back to his room at the earliest opportunity. Elizabeth thought she knew him well enough to predict that much.

There were a great many things she didn't know about Major John Sheppard. She knew what was in his official file, and she knew some of Teyla's personal observations. The Athosian leader had been a great source of calm for Elizabeth since their tumultuous arrival in Pegasus.

Elizabeth and John had had some quiet talks together since arriving and she was fairly confident she could finally call him a friend, but there was still a great deal she didn't know about him. He seemed reluctant to talk about himself in depth so she didn't press. She'd been surprised by how much she'd enjoyed talking with him actually. She'd been prepared to lock horns with John far more often than she'd had to.

Though, when she thought about it, they'd both made an effort to learn more about one another so that they could communicate far more effectively. The incident with the energy creature had brought many things to light. They'd had a very frank conversation, Elizabeth wouldn't have called it a fight exactly, and they'd come to an understanding. Things had been better since then. Oh there were still rocky patches, many. But they'd begun to forge a united front against Pegasus and whatever the galaxy threw at the new residents.

Yesterday had scared her more than she wanted to admit. It had taken the better part of a day for her to even admit that much to herself. Elizabeth was determined not to let her feelings affect her work. That was why she was here at his door. To confront them.

There was music coming from the other side.. It held the genuine quality of sound that only a live instrument could make. Elizabeth both wondered if she was interrupting and where he'd managed to find a guitar. The music stopped and there were voices inside. One sounded like John, the other was feminine. Elizabeth thought about walking away when the door opened.

"Elizabeth," Teyla's surprise softened into a smile.

"Hello Teyla," Elizabeth said. She certainly had been interrupting, it seemed. She felt a blush creeping into her cheeks and thought of several neutral-yet-cheerful things to say.

Teyla turned back inside. "Children! Let John be. He needs to rest. He can play for you again some other time."

Elizabeth wasn't sure why she felt so relieved when she heard the children whine in protest over John's deep chuckle. Jinto was the last in the line of Athosian children that trudged out of the room and down the hall.

"Have a pleasant evening," Teyla told Elizabeth as she passed by to shepherd the stragglers. Elizabeth echoed the wish and stepped into John's quarters.

"Hey," he greeted with a small wave. "Look what I got." He held up a wooden instrument that looked a bit like an over-sized mandolin. "The kids brought it when they heard I was free from Carson's clutches. I think Halling sent Teyla along to make sure the kids didn't keep me up all night playing."

John's quarters had blankets and pillows strewn about the floor in a rough semicircle around the bed. Elizabeth smiled as she envisioned John playing for the Athosian children. She bent down and began picking the pillows and blankets off the floor..

"You don't have to do that," John told her.

"It's no trouble," Elizabeth assured him. "Besides that, Carson would kill me if I let you trip over any of this and hurt yourself," she teased. "I didn't know you played the...what is that thing anyway?" She looked at the instrument over the pile of pillows she held in her arms.

"I have no idea. I mean Teyla told me? But I forgot," John admitted sheepishly. "It's about the same as a guitar with some tuning. I had to take off a string. It works." Elizabeth sat on the couch across from the bed next to the pile she'd collected.

"So you play?" Elizabeth asked as she began folding the blankets to be put away.

"A bit," John admitted.

"It's not exactly a Gibson SG," Elizabeth mused.

John chuckled and strummed. He frowned and tuned one of the strings, testing it. Elizabeth thought it sounded fine, but John fiddled with it. "Actually, I had to learn classical guitar, first."

"Yeah?" she set aside another blanket and picked up another blanket.

"Yeah. I wanted to play like Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix."

"Let me guess, the parents wanted you to play something else?" Elizabeth arched a wry brow. John grinned.

"Piano," he admitted as he began to idly finger a soft tune. "We compromised on classical guitar. If I was good enough, they said they'd get me an electric one when I turned 16."

"Did they?"

"Huh? Oh yeah they did." He smiled at her across the space between them. "I think I like acoustic better, though. Don't let that get around," he winked. "it will ruin my image."

She laughed lightly as she set the last blanket on the pile. The pillows she arranged neatly on the couch while he continued to pick out a melody. She was done with her task and John was probably wiped out after entertaining the gaggle of kids. There were dark circles under his eyes, but he didn't look haunted. Just tired. She knew she should let him sleep but this was relaxing.

"Play something?" she requested, leaning against the arm of the couch.

"Anything in mind?" John asked. Elizabeth smiled and shook her head. John shrugged and bit his lower lips as he thought. "Mind if I try something?" he asked.

"Go ahead," she said, resting her chin on her arms and looking at him over the couch's arm.

John tapped the hollow body of the instrument and plucked at the strings, experimenting. It was fascinating watching him. Elizabeth had had a painful year of piano before her mother had finally acknowledged that while her daughter might appreciate music, she didn't have a musical bone in her body.

John looked up and their eyes met briefly. He smiled without the usual smirk. Elizabeth had to admit his smirk could be cute when it was focused on someone else, but she liked his less mischievous smile more. She watched as he relaxed, the slight tension draining away.

He settled the instrument and paused, letting the last note fade. "So this might not sound so good," he warned.

"Trust me," Elizabeth began, "I am probably the least musical person on the city," she admitted. "It will sound better than anything I could do."

John shrugged and began playing, drumming his fingers on the body of the case to create a rhythm and picking at the strings with the occasional strum. Elizabeth had seen flamenco guitarists play this way when she'd been in Spain, but this song wasn't in the same driven style.

The tune was gentle, drifting on the air. It reminded Elizabeth of a car ride on a lazy spring day after the rain had fallen. She watched John relax further into the playing of the song. It probably would have sounded much different on a guitar. He kept wincing as things didn't turn out the way he wanted, but she thought it sounded nice. She smiled as she watched him.

The white gauze Carson had put around his neck stood out, blue-white in the fading light of the room.

He'd been close.

Her heart raced as she considered what could have been a terrifying outcome. They'd already lost Sumner. John was green but he was managing. If he'd not suffered politics and that black mark, he'd probably have been better prepared as the Air Force groomed him for a Lt. Colonel's spot. John was fully capable of running and managing his people. He'd stepped up to the challenge in a way that had pleased and surprised her. In their new common ground, she knew he'd put the city first and she could respect that. To lose him would have been a blow to the expedition.

John was a good man. Above and beyond all the bureaucratic considerations, the loss of him as a person would have hurt the soul of the expedition. As prickly as he was, Rodney could spur his people to work. He challenged their egos. Carson was a dear friend, but uncompromising when it came to the health of his people. His staff respected him and everyone liked his easygoing manner.

John had stepped up and the military, even the more reticent marines, had noticed. but he wasn't as much of a hardass as Sumner had been. John's command style was more relaxed, but he made sure things got done. He was comfortable around the civilians. He joked and teased when there wasn't danger.

The beginnings of some good-natured brotherly rivalry between John and Rodney was doing worlds of good for the whole of the group. Ties were being forged where there could have been gulfs. The loss of any of her leads would have hurt everyone. In Pegasus, they needed to be united.

John was also becoming a friend. She would have deeply mourned the loss of a good friendship that never was.

She realized the music has drifted into a softer, aimless tune. John was watching her carefully. A little protectively actually, like he could drop the instrument at a moments notice and cover her with the sidearm he wasn't wearing. She smiled and he settled into his seat.

 

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "You play beautifully."

He dipped his head in acknowledgment of the praise but didn't comment. Instead he winced as the wound on his shoulder pulled. He touched it and Elizabeth could see a spot of pink in the center of the bandage.

"You're bleeding," she said, sitting up.

"Nah. It stopped awhile ago. I just haven't changed the bandage tonight," John said.

"Do you need any help?" she asked.

John shrugged and immediately winced. "I keep forgetting not to do that," he admitted with a small chuckle.

"Let me help," Elizabeth said, standing up. John nodded and set the instrument down on some storage containers.

"Thanks," he said. "Carson left me some stuff in the bathroom." He gestured to the dark room opposite the bed. The lights came on as he entered. Elizabeth followed.

John held up an orange bottle of pills and frowned. "He said two of these every six hours, I think." He turned the bottle around in his hands. "I think they're antibiotics."

"Who knows where that bug was," Elizabeth commented. She busied herself with preparing a bandage out of the supplied Carson had given John.

"He gave me the good stuff for pain," John commented.

"Does it hurt much?"

"Not anymore," John said as he tugged his shirt off. Elizabeth watched him out of the corner of her eyes. The shoulder opposite the gauze had an old scar. His chest was lightly covered with hair and was pleasant to look at. She'd guessed at the defined planes based on seeing him in the plain but form-fitting black t-shirts many of the military wore.

She looked away and picked up the small roll of surgical tape. "Scissors?" she asked.

"Hang on."

John undid one of the pockets in his pants. The velcro opened with a rasping sound and John withdrew a Swiss Army knife. He set it on the counter and back to carefully peeling off the bandage with one hand.

Elizabeth picked up the knife with a small smile. Her father and uncles had always carried them around too.

She remembered her father pulling his out for everything from letters to opening birthday presents to cutting open the stubborn packaging for the CDs she'd given him before he'd died. She carefully pulled the scissors out and cut pieces of tape.

John grunted as he ripped off the tape holding the bandage down. He carefully pulled the gauze away, balled the whole thing up and tossed it into the trash container.

"Let me see," Elizabeth gently ordered. John turned and she frowned at the angry red mark at the junction of his neck and shoulder. She carefully touched the red skin near the edge. John jerked away.

"Sorry."

"Your hands are cold," John teased. Elizabeth gave him a mock glare and put her hand on the area again.

"It doesn't feel warm."

"Good. Hopefully I won't get infected with alien lime disease or something," John joked. Elizabeth's smiled but she didn't feel the humor. Exotic disease was something they had to be very careful about.

"Its still kinda red," John commented. He leaned forward cover the counter so he could see the reflection close up.

Elizabeth's gaze was drawn to the play of muscle along his back as he bent forward. She caught herself staring and looked away, but it wasn't before John noticed. His reflection smirked back at her in the mirror.

Elizabeth gave in to the urge to roll her eyes at him. John chuckled.

"Here," she said, putting a hand on his uninjured shoulder. "Let me help. Washcloth?"

John pointed at the towels and cloths in a haphazard pile in an open cupboard by the shower. Elizabeth sighed in amused exasperation and grabbed the cloth from the top. John had perched on top of the counter by the time she returned. She turned on the sink and wet the cloth down. Using some antibacterial soap she began to gently try and clean any of the clotted blood off without reopening the wound.

"What were you really going to say?" Elizabeth asked.

"Huh?"

"When you were stuck in the jumper," Elizabeth clarified. She ran the washcloth in hot water until the faint traces of pink were entirely gone.

"Just what I said," John told her.

Elizabeth wrung the washcloth out and draped it over a metal bar. She went back to the cupboard for a dry towel. "We're alone," she said over her shoulder. "You can tell me."

John sighed dramatically. "Okay. I was going to confess my undying love for Peter."

Elizabeth pouted, "Rodney will be so disappointed," she managed to say with a straight face.

"Well, now that I am now no longer in any danger of dying, I can go back to denying the love that dare not speak its name. Or something," he resolved as she carefully pat the area dry and placed the gauze back on the wound.

"Alas and woe," Elizabeth joked as she taped down the gauze. "How's that?" she asked.

John moved his arm around experimentally. Elizabeth watched and caught his hand in mid air. She held him still then adjusted the tape again so it wouldn't pull.

"Thanks," John said. He slid off the counter and Elizabeth stepped back quickly, staggering. John caught her waist and arm before she went down. Elizabeth squeaked in surprise.

"Nice catch," she said as she got her feet under her. "What?" she asked when John grinned at her.

"You squeaked," he accused.

Elizabeth settled a stern mask over her features and straightened up. "I did not."

John shook at finger at her. "You did!

"Did not!" Elizabeth turned the glare up a notch, partially because she was annoyed she sounded like a school-yard kid.

John stepped into her personal space but Elizabeth stood her ground, challenging him. She was entirely unprepared for him to strike out and touch her sides with nimble fingers. She squealed and twisted away as she tried to bat at his hands.

"No! John!" She protested between laughs. "Stop it!"

"Stop what?" John asked innocently. He followed her while she backed up into the corner of his bathroom, trying to escape from his fingers. She knew he would stop if she really wanted him to, but it was nice to just…laugh for once.

"John!" she laughed, grabbing one of his hands. The other dug into her side and she twisted to the side, dragging his arm with her.

"Yes?" John asked. His fingers paused as she caught her breath. Her eye flashed and she struck out against him, fingers digging into his sides.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, grabbing for her hands.

"Turn about is fair play!" she cried triumphantly as her fingers drew laughs from him. John fought to grab her hands, but she kept moving, making the task hard. John stepped back a few feet, allowing Elizabeth to step away from the wall.

Finally John managed to grab one hand then the other. He wrestled with her until he could hold both hands in one of his. Elizabeth's eyes grew wide as he held one hand over her side.

"You wouldn't," she protested, trying to free her hands.

John grinned and tickled her sides sending her once again into helpless laughter. Elizabeth tried twisting away, but was laughing too hard.

"Stop," she finally pleaded between breaths, "I can't- I yield. I- Uncle!"

John stopped his assault. Elizabeth took deep breaths as she tried to recover. She'd backed into the corner again and he'd pressed against her to prevent her from kicking him. Elizabeth licked her lips and swallowed, suddenly finding her mouth very dry as her body registered the feel of John pressed against her.

Things had been rough with Simon; he hadn't agreed with her decision to head to Colorado and her later choice to relocate to _Antarctica_ of all places had strained their relationship further. She hadn't been able to tell him what she was doing or why, only where. Elizabeth hadn't been with another person in a long time and her body chose to remind the rest of her.

John was looking between her lips and her eyes, his body pressed into hers. Elizabeth's pulse raced and she felt she needed to catch her breath for an entirely different reason. John dipped his head, stopped with a wary look at her then finally kissed her.

His lips were gentle and tentative, chastely exploring her own. His hands let go of hers and Elizabeth let them drop, both landing on his shoulders. John braced himself against the wall with a hand on either side.

Elizabeth let one of her hands slide down his chest, brushing through the short hairs to stop at his hip. John pressed closer to her as Elizabeth opened her mouth, deepening the kiss. She pushed forward and John stepped back. They moved away from the wall as they kissed.

Elizabeth let the hand on John's shoulder run up his neck into his hair. She drew her nails along his scalp. John groaned into the kiss and suddenly lifted her up onto the narrow counter of his bathroom. Elizabeth made a small sound of surprise and John laughed.

"I like your squeak," he told her, kissing her before she could protest. Elizabeth wound her fingers into his hair while he un-tucked her shirt. Elizabeth leaned forward and began sliding off the counter.

John broke the kiss long enough to tug off her shirt then lift her back onto the counter. Elizabeth's other hand trailed down John's bare chest. They met at the closure of his pants. Elizabeth tugged him closer and shifted on the counter as she once again slid forward.

Elizabeth let her head fall back as John worshiped her collarbone with his lips. He kissed upward and licked at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Elizabeth jerked under his touch and John moved his head away before her shoulder could collide with his head.

"Not there?" he asked.

"Very ticklish there," she told him as she drew the backs of her fingers up his chest.

"Pity," eh said, leaning forward to kiss her. "You have elegant shoulders." John leaned forward and continued to kiss at her collarbone was kept away from where he'd been kissing before.

Elizabeth's laugh turned into a hum of pleasure as he began to kiss his way between her breasts. He shifted her back onto the counter then let his hands cup her through her bra. Elizabeth's fingers went back into his hair. He seemed to like her running her fingers through his hair as much as she liked it.

She tightened her legs around John's hips as she slid forward again. Elizabeth glared at the counter but was soon too busy kissing John again to be really annoyed by the uncooperative counter. John slid his hands up her sides and under the fabric of her bra. Elizabeth sighed against his mouth. Her hands trailed down to the waistband of his pants once more. This time she began to undo his buckle.

John undid the clasp of her bra and pushed the straps off her shoulders and down her arms. He flung the garment away and his hands resumed their exploration of her chest. Elizabeth pressed into the palms of his hands as she unzipped his pants. She had to move her legs so she could begin to tug them down. She slid off the counter entirely.

"This isn't working here," John noted.

"No,"

"Bed?" John offered.

"Bed," Elizabeth agreed as she began to push him backwards.

They made their way out of the bathroom without incident, Elizabeth throwing off her shoes and unbuckling her pants as they went. They reached the end of John's bed and suddenly John toppled backwards.

"Woah!"

Elizabeth saw his bare feet had become entangled in his pants. His legs had his the foot of his bed and he'd fallen backwards. He blinked up at her, surprised.

"Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked, fearing he'd hurt his shoulder further.

John nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm okay."

They stared at one another before cracking up.

"Not my smoothest move," John admitted, pouting. Elizabeth grinned and tugged off his pants. She then shucked off her own pants and kicked them aside. John moved onto the bed and she crawled after him. She ended up sitting in his lap where they continued to kiss.

She shifted her hips against him eliciting a playful growl. Elizabeth laughed between kisses. He was getting hard under her. His flesh was hot against her with only the thin material of their underwear separating them. She shifted her hips again, enjoying the feel of him rubbing against her clit. John's hands were playing with her breasts again. She hissed as he pinched.

"Ow!" she complained, knocking the offending hands away.

"Sorry," John apologized for pinching her nipples. He palmed them, caressing the hurt away. "Better?"

"Much," she replied, voice becoming a hum. John bent his head and began tentatively licking at her breasts.

"Okay?" he asked.

Elizabeth nodded once. "Just don't bite there," she told him. She could feel John's lips form into a smile against her skin.

"So are there places I can bite?" he teased.

Elizabeth laughed. "Maybe," she replied, making John chuckle. She could feel the vibrations against her hands where they rested on his back. As nice as this was, it wasn't where she wanted to be touched at the moment. She shifted, causing him to groan against her breast. Elizabeth decided she liked that and moved again.

"God, Elizabeth," John groaned.

"Hmm?" she asked innocently, causing him to laugh.

"You're evil."

"Only a little," she admitted.

"That's it," John said. Elizabeth wondered what he was talking about before he suddenly twisted around and she found herself under him on the bed. "Hi," John grinned down at her. Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle.

John climbed off the bed, dragging her panties off as he went. The air of the room hit her and only then did Elizabeth realize how wet she'd become. John was looking at her intently. Feeling a little self conscious, Elizabeth twisted her knees to the side so she wasn't displayed so brazenly. Her hands fluttered, unsure of where they should be.

John tugged off his pants and stood erect and unashamed. One hand slid up his shaft in a long stroke. She watched him grow harder as he let her get a good look at him. Elizabeth licked her lips unconsciously. She hadn't had sex in months and he looked very good. He was about average in length, but on the thick side. She felt a tingle of anticipation center low in her body.

She shifted on the bed as John joined her. He gently pushed her far knee aside and moved between her legs. John leaned on one arm and cupped a breast with his other hand as he resumed kissing her.

Elizabeth drew one hand down his side, smiling against his lips as she shuddered under his feather-light touch. She reached his hip and let her fingers meander across his belly. The dark hair there was shorter than she expected and she wondered if he trimmed. She lightly touched his shaft and he groaned her name.

Elizabeth turned her head and nipped lightly at his jaw. She slid up his length with the tips of her fingers before sliding down to close her hand around him. John's forehead dropped into the center of her chest and he moaned. Feeling a little naughty and powerful, Elizabeth stroked down then up again. She could feel the beat of his heart through the blood vessels.

"If you keep doing that…" John warned, trailing off. There was a ragged edge to his voice. Elizabeth let him go and he immediately assaulted her again with deep kisses and warm hands.

She shifted her hips. He was touching her everywhere except where she really wanted to be touched. Finally she grabbed his hand and drew it between her legs. Foreplay was nice, but she was ready to move forward.

John broke the kiss with a look of surprise when she placed his hand in the wet curls between her legs. Elizabeth felt herself blush at her own impatience. John's cloudy look of not-quite-confusion resolved into a smile as he worked his fingers over the wet skin just at her entrance. Elizabeth's eyes rolled back into her head when his fingers brushed her clit.

John teased and rubbed his fingers, catching her clit and making her hips arch towards his hand. She felt two fingers stop just inside of her body and opened an eye.

"Can I do this?" John asked, his voice low in her ear.

Elizabeth hummed an affirmative sound. Her response of "Please!" went up in pitch as his fingers entered her while his thumb connected with her clit. He stroked his fingers in an out, spreading them to increase the friction as she became more lubricated under his touch. He curled his fingers and her hips thrust against him.

His lips found the shell of her ear. He tugged at her earlobe. "Elizabeth."

"Hmm?"

"Look at me," John requested before trailing kissed back to her lips then leaning over her.

Elizabeth opened her eyes slowly. The feeling of his fingers and the pad of his thumb was wonderful. She rolled her hips to increase the friction. John's eyes were dark with passion. He shifted so he wasn't leaning on his hand anymore. He straddled one of her legs. She could feel the heat of his balls against her skin.

Gentle fingers on her chin tilted her head. She opened eyes she hadn't realized she'd closed to fin him leaning over her. The slow motion of his fingers, in and out was too slow. John leaned over and whispered in her ear "I want to watch you come."

Elizabeth shuddered. She hadn't expected John to talk at all. It was incredibly arousing. She watched him watch her as his hand began to speed up. Elizabeth grabbed at the pillow behind her head with one hand and at the edge of the mattress with the other. The knee he wasn't sitting on bent as he groped a breast. She could feel release coming, her muscles tightening and bunching.

John's eyes were locked on hers, keeping her from closing them. She focused on his face as his fingers worked her body. She came under his hands, her voice catching in the back of her throat as it always did. Her whole body seized and she couldn't watch him watch her. Her eyes flew closed as her neck arched back in pleasure. John's lips found the rapid pulse of her throat as he continued to work her body.

It was so much, almost too much. She let out a small sound and John froze. Her body began to relax and he withdrew his fingers. From within her before his ministrations turned into pain.

As Elizabeth caught her breath she put a slightly shaky hand to her temple. When she finally could open an eye, she found him with a look of consternation on his face. John noticed her watching him and bit his lip.

"I probably should have asked you if you can come multiple times," he said sheepishly. Elizabeth stroked his erection, bringing his hips off her leg.

"Give me a moment," she said, letting her hand fall back to the bedding. "Too much now."

John leaned over her body and began to lick at her collarbone then over her breasts. He leaned on one hand and the other stroked along her side. Elizabeth enjoyed the gentle caresses. Elizabeth finally focused on the feel of his dick against her hip. When she wanted to feel him inside her, she dug her fingers into his hip slightly and shifted under him.

"Good?" he asked.

She nodded in response.

John grinned over her for a second then frowned. "Fuck." He glared at his side table before looking back at her with a sad expression. "I just realized I don't have any condoms."

"I have an implant," Elizabeth said.

"And I'm clean," John added.

"So am I," Elizabeth told him.

"You don't mind…?" he asked. It took Elizabeth a moment to realize he was talking about not using a condom.

"This implant's new and I've used one for yea-," she was cut off by his lips claiming hers. They moved on the bed and she could feel him at her entrance, thick and warm. She moaned as he began to press into her slowly.

"Faster," she asked as he began to stretch her at the edge of pleasure and pain. He paused and she moaned again.

"Faster?" he confirmed. She nodded and he slid all the way in. Elizabeth's knees tightened on his hips as she adjusted to him. He felt really good, but, unfortunate puns and ironies aside, her previous relationship had gone cold when she'd moved to Antarctica.

John kissed her ear. "You okay?"

"Been awhile. God, you're thick," she said as she tried to force her body to relax. It was always this way when she'd abstained from more than her fingers for awhile.

John chuckled. "Didn't sound like a complaint," he mused smugly.

"Fuck no," Elizabeth assured him with a smirk. "Okay," she said, lifting her hips. John settled on his arms over her and slid in and out slowly, as if testing.

He repeated the motion and he moaned. "Feel so good."

Elizabeth's head fell back into the pillow as he pulled out then pushed back in slowly, teasing himself as much as her. She could feel the buildup begin again, but she'd never in her life gotten off without something touching her clit.

John added a twist of his hips which increased the friction, bringing Elizabeth closer to coming apart. It wasn't enough though and she slid a hand down along her body to touch herself.

The base of John's dick rubbed up against her fingers. She felt him shift above her and his hand bumped into hers. He took over, the pad of his thumb once again rubbing small circles against the sensitive bundle of nerves. Elizabeth panted a wordless sound of appreciation as her body wound up. One of her hands fisted in the pillow and the other fingered through John's hair.

John's hips sped up as he worked in and out of her. She drew her knees up and her heels back and he went deeper. They moaned as the angle changed while he withdrew and filled her again. John's forehead fell once again to her shoulder as he pumped into her. He breath caught with each male grunt by her ear.

Elizabeth came under him, her breath hitching, fingers digging into the pillow and his hair. "John," she exhaled as she shuddered under him. John's fingers moved as he braced himself with both arms again. His thrusts became stronger and more erratic as he worked to his own orgasm.

He came with a wordless cry against her shoulder. His hips pressed into her as far as he could and his arms crushing her to his chest.

Elizabeth buried her head into his uninjured shoulder and gently caressed his back and sides. He was heavy on top of her, but she liked the weight for a little while. She held onto him when he started to shift and he settled over her, still trying to catch his breath.

He pulled out of her embrace to look down at her, his expression a mixture of satisfaction, confusion, tenderness and appreciation. Elizabeth smiled sleepily up at him and drew light fingers through his hair. John's head came down, lips against hers. He kissed her with surprising gentleness.

* * *

She woke to the sound of the Athosian guitar. He was sitting on the edge of the couch, softly playing. Naked. Elizabeth held the blanket to her chest then realized how silly it was. He'd been inside her. It was a little late for modesty.

He saw her watching him and stopped playing, letting the notes die off.

"Don't stop," she asked.

He smiled ruefully, but began again. "If I keep playing will you stay?" he asked. He sounded unsure.

Elizabeth didn't have an answer.

He ducked his head and carefully picked an intricate Spanish tune at a low volume. She watched his fingers dance over the strings.

"I didn't plan last night," he admitted. She started when he spoke, having gotten lost in the soft tune.

"Neither did I," she said. "I wanted to see if you were okay. You were hurt," she explained lamely.

John nodded silently and the tune changed to something that sounded older, something that almost-but-didn't-quite belong on the instrument. Elizabeth imagined it would have sounded better being plucked on a mandolin.

"I can still work with you," John said abruptly. "I really don't want this to mess things up," he said. He suddenly set the instrument aside and clasped his hands together, leaning on his knees.

It was a little surreal to be having this conversation. They were both naked and had just had fairly good first-time sex. Elizabeth had known this man only a few short months. She'd never had a fling or a one-night stand. It was scary how…okay she felt.

"It won't if we don't let it," Elizabeth said. In the back of her mind she worried about how it would look to Earth if they were regained contact. But if they never did, she couldn't afford to lose him. If they never regained contact...well that was another story.

They were finding their stride together as a command team and John was actually, in her opinion, finding his way as the military head. They'd been well on their way to becoming friends and last night had been…really pleasant. Okay, if she was being honest, it had been pretty damn good for the first time with someone she hadn't intended on sleeping with. Not perfect but she'd enjoyed it.

John was scratching the back of his head and examining the floor. "So," he began before clapping his hands together. "I didn't screw things up? Because I was really beginning to like working with you, and…" He gestured vaguely and looked out his window. "I think we were friends."

"We are," she insisted. "Still friends I mean. I- well- I didn't intend for this to happen. But it did and..." She sighed and played with the edge of his sheets. "Earth might be unhappy if they ever found out," she finally said, unsure where the note of sadness had come from. "But Earth might never find us. We might be stuck here for a very long time."

"True," John said, finally daring to look her in the eye.

"I normally don't do this with people under me," Elizabeth said then closed her eyes at the unintentional pun. "I mean when I'm working a man- I mean working with a man, I don't usually sleep with them."

"I didn't think you did," John told her.

"Good. I mean I came I- Look, maybe we got off- Oh, fuck me. Oh god." Elizabeth bit her lower lip and shook her head. "So much for my vaunted verbal skills."

"You mean you're not a cunning linguist?" John asked too innocently. She shot him a glare but the urge to smile was too strong and the edge of her lips tilted. John stood, which was distracting, and then sat by her on the bed. He leaned forward and kissed her tentatively. She returned it after a moment of surprise.

"Done with the unintentional double entendres?" he asked.

"God I hope so," Elizabeth groaned. John laughed and shifted so he was sitting beside her.

"Well if it helps, this is better than I thought the morning after conversation was going to go," he admitted. Elizabeth leaned into his side and buried her face in his shoulder.

"I've never had a one night stand before," she told him.

"I've had a couple. I don't like doing it. They were after some rough patches."

"I can work with you," Elizabeth said as she picked up one of his hands. She played with his long fingers as she thought. "I want to work with you."

"So, then does this change anything?" John asked.

"I think it has to," she said.

"Oh."

Elizabeth squeezed his hand at the note of dejection clear in his voice. She stopped him from getting up.

"Change doesn't have to be bad," she reminded him.

"Change is good?" he asked.

"Sometimes."

He settled back against the pillows and laced his fingers in between hers. "So you aren't going to fire me?"

"Not for this," she couldn't help but tease. He laughed softly and ran his thumb along hers.

"Well then I won't report you to Human Resources for seducing me," he replied with a sniff. She smacked him lightly in the arm.

"That's not funny," she muttered.

"Probably not," he said sinking down into the bed. Finding her support was gone, Elizabeth sank down next to him, turned on her side and propped her head up with a hand.

John reached out and touched a lock of her hair, winding it through his fingers. He tucked it behind her ear. He watched her for a moment seeming to consider something.

"What?" she prompted.

John looked a little guilty, like he'd been caught with his hands in the proverbial cookie jar.

"Was it good for you?" he asked. She groaned and rolled her eyes, but her cheeks heated as well. John boldly snaked an arm across her hips and pulled her to him. "'cause I enjoyed being with you."

He was being honest. Elizabeth could do no less. She nodded. "It was good," she told him. He grinned.

"So we're good with work?" he asked.

"Yes."

"And we're still friends?"

"Yes."

"And I didn't embarrass myself."

"No you didn't."

"Good. So can we do it again?" he asked, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

"Maybe. If you stop nearly getting into trouble," she said, fingering the gauze.

"I can't promise you that." He was serious again. His thumb was running back and forth along her hip, caring and intimate.

She sighed. "I know. And I can't promise you I won't ask you to do something dangerous. I'll probably have to sooner rather than later."

John smiled as he shrugged. "That's my job," he dismissed. She arched a brow and he grinned. "Keeping you safe is my job. Well, you and everyone else. I know the risks."

"You knew about the life-sucking alien vampires?" she teased.

He scowled at her. "You know what I mean. Anyway," he sighed. "We're good. We'll do our jobs since this," he gestured to the room, "is bigger than we are and we have a hell of a lot to protect."

"Yes," she agreed, unsure where he was going.

"Right. So 'Carpe Diem' and all that. But you know, with less Robin Williams and fewer suicidal boarding school boys," he said with a wink.

Elizabeth laughed and let him roll on top of her. He began to kiss his way down her body while impishly teasing her ticklish sides. The last coherent thought before his nimble fingers went to work, was that her already complicated life had just gotten more interesting.


End file.
